Music of the Night
by xarandomidiotx
Summary: Remus is bitten, and the werewolf decides to linger. Titled after Phantom of the Opera's "Music of the Night" by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is quoted as well.


"Music of the Night"  
Rated- PG  
Summary- Remus is bitten, but the werewolf decides to linger.  
Disclaimer- We only pretend to own them.  
Warnings- A wee flesh wound and a weird werewolf, nothing more.  
  
Remus had begged his parents to let him play outside a mere 10 minutes more, and it had been then that he'd seen the large shadow of a brutish thing making it's way up the drive. He had turned to it curiously, but had only turned into the pain as strange teeth plucked at the shoulder of his shirt, only to pierce through the clothing, deep into the flesh and muscle. The beast turned away, apparently satisfied. The pain was overwhelming, and Remus fell immediately, his new toy pushed out from his fingers as he splayed the ground. The skin around his left collarbone burned and felt practically filleted to his touch. A deep red then began emitting itself from the wound in great gushes, and Remus's voice felt shockingly close as he cried out in agony. He writhed on the ground, his small boyish form struggling to right itself. His hand was gripping his shoulder in an attempt to stop the flow. After a few moments of heavy breathing he chanced a look around the yard, searching for his parents, needing comfort more now than he ever had in his short life, and noticed that the dark figure had not left. It was still standing close, near the tall shrubbery lining the yard, now clearly visible in the moonlight. It appeared to be a large, gray wolf, much larger than any Remus had ever seen, and it was standing on it's hind legs like a human. Remus peered directly into it's eyes, only because they were the one thing that did not frighten him about the creature.  
  
The thing (Remus wanted to call it a thing, though it was acting more and more like a person than an animal with every passing second) was moving now, over behind the bushes, towards something concealed. He returned, still walking on his hind legs, although the haunches had a stumbling way about them, with something bulky and square in his arms. Remus didn't know why he hadn't run the moment he'd been bit. It seemed all he could do was half-lie on the wet grass with a shocked expression on his face. This expression turned to confusion as the thing the wolf was carrying revealed itself to be a keyboard.  
  
The beast's brow was knotted in plan, his paws fumbling with the legs of the portable piano as he unfolded them, using his long claws as fingers. The display was highly comical- watching a very humanlike wolf (werewolf flashed across Remus's thoughts in neon realization) prepare a keyboard when he was obviously made for much more gruesome things. When the keyboard was upright (it was battery powered, as otherwise he'd have needed a plug) the werewolf carried his heavy haunches behind it and produced sheet music.  
  
At this point, Remus's wound had just about ceased it's bleeding, and he sat up fully as the pain subsided to a low throbbing. He was still wary of the great beast, and hashed over calling for his parents, as they had not turned up in an agonizingly long time. Remus didn't want to think about what this would mean for him, for his future, to be bitten by a werewolf. He then thought of calling out to the wolf, tell him to leave, get off his yard and take his keyboard with him.  
  
"Oi! Werewolf!" Remus hugged his shoulder with one arm and cocked his head to the creature, who was now cracking his big furry knuckles and adjusting his music on the keyboard stand. "What do you think you're doing?" He croaked.  
  
The wolf looked up, set his claws to the plastic keys, and a shimmer set across his eyes as notes began to surface. It was a low, soft melody, up and down through a few different soft chords. Remus thought it would be better suited for a violin or even a six piece orchestra. The wolf had closed his eyes, obviously very intent on the music, his hands lavishly caressing the plastic, and a flitter of a giggle culminated from all the emotions of earlier - the fear, shock, pain, confusion - escaped his mouth as he realized the werewolf was going to sing.  
  
And then the strangled, howling voice rumbled through the throat of the beast, and with a growl, a sad, struggled song was produced, and all Remus could do was stare.  
  
"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensaaation. Darkness stirs and wakes imaginaaation..."  
  
Sniggers ribbed with shock groped out of Remus's lungs. It was too weird a sight not to react to.  
  
"Silently the seeenses abandon their defeeenses..." The wolf was lavishly adorning each note with a slight growl, his hands making a bit too much of a show with the keyboard. Remus thought the notes were meant to sound a lot softer and prettier than what was being produced here, but the werewolf's voice had a strange quality to it that sounded as though it had practiced.  
  
"...Slowly, geeently, night unfurls it's splendor...grasp it, sense it, trembulous and teender. Turn your face awaaay from the garish light of daaay...turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light. And listen to the music of the niiiiight..."  
  
It was all Remus could do not to burst out laughing. The creature was treating each note sweetly, but on the next lines it went all out, thumping the words from his mouth like an opera star.  
  
"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams! Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before! Close your eyes, let your spirit start to-"  
  
a pause  
  
"sooooooar!"  
  
The note was hilariously high-pitched, and the wolf was craning his head up to some invisible place from which he grabbed it-  
  
"...and you'll live as you've never lived befooooore."  
  
The keyboard picked up once again. Remus could see fangs protrude it's mouth as he tried to articulate.  
  
"Softly, deftly, music shall surround you...feel it, hear it, closing in around you..."  
  
His hands were gesturing wildly in the air in time with the music, and he appeared to be conducting an invisible orchestra.  
  
"..Open up your mind, let your fantasies un-wiiiind, in this darkness with you know you cannot fiiiiind..."  
  
Again, with the opera caliber noise-  
  
"The darkness of the music of the niiiiight...."  
  
Laughter had not come to Remus, instead he found himself unable to say or do anything. This thing had practically ripped him apart not ten minutes earlier, and here he was putting on a soulful performance even Andrew Lloyd Webber would have been proud of. He hadn't killed Remus, and for that he was grateful. No, there were other things going through this beast's mind. Perhaps this was his first bite...but weren't werewolves monstrous beasts with no self-control? Remus then realized the song had not ended.  
  
"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew befooore...Let your soul take you where you long to  
  
another pause  
  
"beeeeeeeeee!"  
  
When the werewolf hit that painfully high note, Remus decided that was enough. He didn't stay to hear "Only then can you belong to me.." because he knew he wanted no part in whatever this strange beast was proposing. He shook his head wildly, eyes wide with disbelief as he staggered to the house. Whatever he had seen and witnessed on the lawn after the initial bite was something he felt should be kept private, for the werewolf's sake.


End file.
